Foolproof chocolate chip scones

drinking water and gut health, what's up with Umu (and Michelin criteria)?

a whirlwind Paris whistle-stop! Macarons, snails, and de rigueur 15k steps in a morning

Food of the week:

There’s a new Zephyr in Chelsea, bringing their octopus and creamy orzo to a more central London location. Hoa Sen has opened its doors again, but I’ve somehow been more inclined to the lush pho at Cay Tre….

Spent a hasty 24 hours in Paris the past weekend with an Oxford friend who introduced me to serious gems– I’d go back in a heartbeat just to savour the jiggly veal sweetbread at Benoit and the blind five-course tasting menu at Frenchie. Today’s recipe is a sweet tribute to my time in the UK, and takes less than half an hour from start to finish. A 6 year old could do it! On a less bubbly note, I discuss the downfall of ‘best Japanese restaurant in London’ Umu alongside a mini Michelin Star-related rant, in today’s review.

Science of the week:

Everyone talks about diet when it comes to gut health, but what about drinking water? Despite it being such a central component of our health and lives generally, its role in shaping the gut microbiome has hardly been looked into. Its source (does it come from a well or a tap?), pH, and microbial components, all significantly affect the health of our guts and consequently our physical and mental health too, as this study elucidates. However, way more population-based and lab-controlled studies should be done to identify the actual mechanisms of interactions.

Insight of the week:

Today, things don’t just feel overborne—they truly are. There’s the election, which feels like watching a true crime doc; Heretic with Hugh Grant (who makes a magnificent villain) which made me both question and reinforce my stance on agnosticism; and the documentary on Ponzi magnate Bernie Madoff, which reminded me how hard it can be to trust people.

This week it could be worth it to step back, rediscover what truly matters, whether that’s morning yoga or cooking with family in the evenings. We do have the power to choose how much of the world we allow to weigh on us.

Recipe of the week:

the easiest cream chocolate chip scones

they’re just… so golden and cute and flaky

Scones, glorious scones. They’ve really grown on me ever since I moved to the UK all those years ago, so this feels like a small tribute to place that’s treated me so well the past almost-decade. I’m going to miss London and my friends here so much, but before I get too emotional…

Ingredients:

300ml heavy cream (double cream)

80g butter (cold, cut into cubes)

300g (a little more than 2 cups) all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

half a block (80-90g) dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 200C (fan on).